, 1887-01-13

A"o.' Asa
r.- - -rr ...- g.
To h, E51u.,E r.. I.f. ~ /
am IN receipt ,i letters a-Sfu- fur
information conforming Alaska. be-
leave to answer these communicating
through the columns of your paper.
hoping that ths same NAV prove
interesting and useful 10 the general
public
To be clearly understood, | must
here divide Alaska into four caogra -
phIcal districts The first trends
from Fort TuugaS to tLa south slope
of the Aleutian islands. and is known
as southeastern Alaska: tie second
reaches from the Alau;iag islands
to the Arctic aud j. known az Tn
alaska; the third ! bounded by the
entire coast range of mountains and
Is known as the interior f Ala-kG:
fourth takes IN that portion known Is
the Arctic Slope
As the Arctic district is entirely
beyond the business reach OF this
generation, no further allu=iJn there
TO is necessary.
From Information furnished by
reliable prospectors, also from other
sources, the interior district, except.
ing for the fur catch. i, at present
worthless. 1t Is possible Ina. mineral
discoveries may yet attract emigra-
ton thereto; but. aS there Is neither
farming nor grazing land. the future
expansion OF this lovely belt Of coUn-
try must be regulated by q mineral
development.
Unalaska is, regret to say, en-
tirely controlled by the Alaska Seal
Fur company. 1t Is an iron -clae
monopoly, and its operations are
violations of the rights OF 4 democra
tic people. Why should the govern
ment of the nation lease the islands
OF St Paul and St. George to a trad
ing company any more than the sea
OUTER banks, or the inland ranges
over which the silver gray foxes
roam? 1t was job b-pRre and sim
plei Necessarily thcrc IS no chance
for the development Of any other
enterprise in the district
The commercial enterprises Of the
territory, excepting the operations of
the Alaska Seal Fur company, are
confined to southeastern Alaska.
The leading industries are fish and
mineral, and these enterprises at
present do not give employment TO
200 white men. In reality there Is
but one quartz mining property in
operation in the entire territory, and
that is on Douglas island, near Ju-
neau City. The timber interest Is
confined almost exclusively 10 this
district and is vastly cverrated. The
forests of yellow cedar which We hear
about from tourists are limited in
size and confined to a small range
joining the British Columbia region
near Fort Simpson. The spruce and
hemlock cover the entire coast range
of the district, but there is really 10
market even for the spruce. There
is no agricultural or pastoral range
either in southeastern Alaska or the
territory.
The entire white population OF
Alaska may be rated at not samore
1,20U men, women and children. OF
this number not more than 500 are
residents of southeastern Alaska, and
the others are scattered over the
other ssdistricts The Indian tribes
are said to number about $4,000 men
women and children. They are in
dustsously inclined, and if not mis-
used, will never make any trouble fol
the white people
With the foregoing showing, why
should the nation extend the right
of full form of territorial govern
ment to the inhabitants OF Alaska
All that the people of tha territory
would now most wish for would be {
codifeation of the laws; the Organic
act amended so as to allow the i'm
portation of liquor, which would
bring the internal revenue service
and the limited extension Of the lane
laws In, connection here with {
battalion ofsoldiers should be sent tc
Alaska. The military should never
have been removed from that station
/ remain respectfully yours,
JoHN MCCAFFERTY
Senator Edmunds has bill before
congress to prohibit the importation
OF opium into China by American
citizens ahd into the United states by
Chinese subjects. This bin is aI
attempt to comply with one Of tn,
provisions of the Chinese treaty o.
1880. A similar bill passed the senate
in 1884, but failed of action i'll the
house. This bill will fail agair
probably, as the effort of China t
prohibit the importation OF opium
failed against England in tie early
years of Victoria's reign, when thai
great Christian power waged the
cruel and unjust "opium war" against
China. England, Of course, whipped
China, and exacted from her rs wal
indemnity no less than $30,0O0.O00.
The ''opium war" of England was
fought to assert the right of tke
British people. to force a peculiar
trade upon foreign people in spite
of the protestations Of the govern
ment Of that people. One of the great
branches of the East India company
business in 1884 with China was the
opium trade. Up 10 1884 the trade
was one of theexclusive rights of this
company. When its charter expired
and was renewed, trade with Chins
was thrown open to the general pub
lie, but was taken u, by private mer-
chants, who bought their opium oi
The East India company and sold il
to the Chinese.
The P-L declares that dgring th,
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